Improvement in machines for making shovel-handles



ses' 1'72 *autor elevation, partly in section, showing` apart of UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VV'ILLIAM VELLS, OF MIDDLETON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR MAKING SHOVEL-HANDLES.

Specification forming part. of Letters Patent No. 115,546, dated December 20, 1864.

To (LIL whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM WELLS, of Middleton, in the county 0f Essex and State I of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Making Shovel-Handles 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference beinghad to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this speciIicat-ion, in i which- Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation of a machine constructed after my invention, taken on the line x of Fig. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the machine, showing the upright frame J in cross-section on the line y. Fig. is an elevation-of the machine as seen from l the opposite side to that shown in Fig. l, the part of the frame that carries the crank E being broken awa-y to show the cam C. Fig. 4 i is an elevation of the lower part of the front of the machine. Fig. 5 is an elevation ofthe machine as seen from behind. Fig. 6 is an the machine drawn on the line z of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in a novel construction of machinery for cutting out and tinishing the D part77 or heads of shovel-handles, in which the cutters are operated automatically by mea-ns of cams.

I is a rectangular frame, of suitable strength and height, and of such general proportions as will suit the convenience of the operators, having an upright frame J at its end. A cylinder, A, is placed below the frame J, its shaft B revolving in bearings formed for it in brackets projecting from the back part of the main frame I. Gam-grooves O O are formed in the ends of the cylinder, receiving, respectively, friction-wheels c c', which project fromv vertical arms L L', whose reciprocations are guided in slots cut through a bracket, J 2. The

cam-grooves are of like shape, but are so placed as to actuate the arms L L one after the other. In the upper part of the frame J are two vertical slots, a, of a height more than equal to the depression ofthe cams c c', which receive pins b b', to conne-ct the upper ends of the arms L L to the upper ends of cutterstocks K K', placed on the front of the frame J. It follows that as both the cutter-stocks and arms are suspended from the pins b b respectively, they must move up and down tcgepther. Oanrslots c2 c2 are made in the lowell ptIrt ofthe upright frame of the form shown in Fig. 5, which receive pins or arms d d, projectin g from the back part ofthe cutter-stocks. 'Ihe lower part of the slots c2 are made vertical, and their upper parts are inclined away from each other at an obtuse angle, as seen in Fig. 5. The cutter-stocks are armed with cutters or stamps with chisel-edges, each being made of one piece of metal in this example of my invention,and of the shape ofthe opening to be made in the shovel-handle. Upon the top of the main frame I are placed clamps O O, Vseparated from each other far enough to receive the shovel-handle S, and iixed to one of the cross-pieces I by pivot-pins l P, about which they have a partial rotation. Theirinner ends are shaped so as together to form a receptacle or matrix for the D part of the handle S, within which it may be clamped when the clamps O are rotated in the proper direction.

H is a vertical bar, held to the forward end of the main frame by brackets It R, within which it is made to slide vertically by means ofthe treadle F. The upper end of the bar H is bifurcated, so that its forks h h extend upward next to and on each side of the shovelhandle S when it is in position between the clamps. The forks are wedge-shaped on one side, their angular faces being next to the clamps O.

When the treadle is depressed, the bar H is drawn downward, thereby causing the angular forks to crowd between the sides of the shovel-handle and the clamps, whose outer ends swing open about their fulcrum-pins P P, their inner ends consequently swinging toward each other, so as to clamp the head of the shovel. Thus the head and shank of the handle are both held snugly by the same operation.

M is a swinging bed-piece, which is tted beneath the cross-pieces I', to one of which it is pivoted at its outer end, as seen at N. Its inner end rests upon the cross-piece I2, and is elevated at that part of the frame, so that its upper face is iiush with the cross-pieces l t0 give support to the clamps O and the shovelhandle, which rests upon it. The bed-piece M constitutes the support for the shovel-handle when the vertical cutters act upon it, and in case it is made of metal its upper surface is to be fitted with a bed of wood or other suitable material to receive the cutters in their descent, so as to preserve their-edges from injury. A cutter, n, of curved form, as seen in Fig. l, is secured to theeud of the swinging bed M near its left-hand corner. It extends over the edge of the adjacent clamps when the bed-piece is in its normal position, and its shape is such as to givethe required convexity to the extreme end of the head ofthe shovelhandle when it moves along it. The bed-piece M extends downward in iront of the crosspiece l2 toward the periphery of the cylinder A, to enable a fork, p, formed upon it at that point to embrace a peripherical cam, D, which extends around the cylinder, as seen in the drawings. The action of the cam D is to swing the bed-piece about its center of motion N, thereby bringing its concave cutter a along the head of the shovel-handle, so as to bring it to the required shape, curved in two directions, the longitudinal curve or contour being given by reason of the curved path of the cutter about the center of motion N, and the rounded form of the head being given by the concave shape of the cutter.

Vhen the cutter-stocks K K and al1 the other parts of the machine are in their normal position, the head of the shovel-handle S Will lie Within vertical lines., extending downward from the inner sides of the cutters, so that when they descend they must have a sidewise motion in order to be placed vertically (nearly) above the head of the handle. This is accomplished bythe slots c2 and the guiding pins d d.

The position of the cams or their adjustments are to be such that, when the shovelhandle is properly clamped the rotation of the cylinder in the direction of the arrow will cause the cutter e to descend and cut out a' portion of the head of the handle, making a hole therein of the shape required, but of smaller dimensions than is necessary in the inished handle, the descent of the cutter, as is plainly seen, being caused by the cam C than the cutter e, so as to bring the Dopen.

ing in the handle to the proper size and shape. So soon as the cutter e has been withdrawn from the D opening in the head ofthe shovel S far enough to clear its edge, the bed-piece M begins its vibration to the right in order to cut the outer end ofthe head to the proper shape, as above explained. The shovel-handle is then released from the clamps O and taken out and a fresh one supplied in its place.

The handles are steamed or otherwise softened, and a circular hole as large as the shortest diameter ofthe D-opening is bored in each before being submitted to the operation above mentioned. f

The cam-cylinder may be driven by means of the crank E or other suitable means, according to the speed required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patentl. Clamping the shovel-handle both at its head and alongits shank by means of the clam p O and bar H, with its forks IL h, during the operations above described, substantially as above set forth.

2. Completing the Dopening in the head of the shovel-handle by means ofthe suspended vertical die-cutters e e, ot' dill'erentsizes, operated in succession and brought vertically over the shovel-head, substantially as above described. w

3. The swinging bed-piece and its cutter u, for forming the end of the shovel-head, constructed and arranged substantially as above described.

VILLIAM WELLS.

Witnesses:

JosEPH A. BATCHELDER, PARKER WELLS. 

